


[Meta] Concerning the location of a certain South Downs Cottage

by Literarion



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Meta, South Downs Cottage (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:01:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21524107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Literarion/pseuds/Literarion
Summary: I wrote this as aTwitter threadoriginally, and am adding it here for completeness of my record.
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 35
Collections: Ixnael’s Recommendations, Ixnael’s SFW corner





	[Meta] Concerning the location of a certain South Downs Cottage

This is a Servicethread (probably primarily for non-British fanfic authors), concerning the location of a certain post-canon cottage.

If you're unfamiliar with the cottage scenario in general, you can read the [backstory on irisbleufic's Tumblr.](https://irisbleufic.tumblr.com/post/32594803392/where-the-south-downs-thing-comes-from)

If you're writing post-canon fic, and go down the cottage route, there's a bit you should know about the ominous 'South Downs' location. Specifically, that it is not, as such, a location. It is not 'South Downs' as in, a village, a city, a place. It is 'THE South Downs' - an area. The South Downs are a beautiful national park in the south of England. They stretch some 260 square miles (or 670 km2), from Winchester in the West to Eastbourne in the, well, East, and from the South coast of Great Britain to just south of Farnham.

_Picture:[CC-BY South Downs National Park](https://visitsouthdowns.com/about-the-south-downs-national-park/)_

So, when you're writing your fanfic, be aware that Neil and Terry have - to my knowledge! - never defined exactly where on the South Downs Aziraphale and Crowley have settled. It's not a place! Most fics I've read seem to locate the cottage close to the coast, so it would need to be in the South-East, close to the [Seven Sisters - the famous chalk cliffs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sisters,_Sussex) \- as that's the only place where the South Downs actually touch the coast. _Picture:[CC BY-SA 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) [StephenDawson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:StephenDawson)_

The South Downs are stunning, and if you ever get to visit the UK, or that area specifically, you should absolutely take a few days to explore them. There's lots of hiking and biking trails, and quaint little towns to get lost in. There's also my personal favourite: the [Arundel Wetland Centre](https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/arundel/), where you can observe waterfowl and wildlife, including lots of ducks to feed (in designated areas, and NOT with bread!), and the most gorgeous Hawaii Geese, or Nenes. If stargazing is your thing, the South Downs are a great location, too, as there are areas with little to no light pollution, and as of 2016, [the South Downs are an International Dark Sky Reserve](https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/enjoy/dark-night-skies/)! And then, of course, there's Winchester on the Western outskirts, former capital of England, with a beautiful cathedral and town centre, and lots and lots of ducks. (And, quite possibly, an interesting historic setting to explore in your stories?)

* * *

[edit] [Neil has now confirmed Devil's Dyke as the location of the cottage](https://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/189648955471/hi-neil-did-you-and-terry-have-an-idea-about)! This is a small village in the South Downs, [about six miles North-East of Brighton](https://goo.gl/maps/QtgQG251qnpv1UYz9). There's even an Easter egg in the show (as pointed out in the linked Tumblr post), where Crowley reads the Infernal Times, which recommends Devil's Dyke as "perfect for a summer walk". So, here we are, mystery solved! I still like to imagine them by the sea, but the coast is only a few miles South, which - in the Bentley, and given Crowley's driving - won't take them more than ten minutes to reach. [/edit]

Thanks for coming to my TED talk, and I look forward to all of your future (geographically accurate 😉) fanfics!


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